Etheldredasplace: 09/28/14

The media is having a hay-day with the scandal of our bishop, now resigned. It seems to me that Catholics do not understand the right tone to take with scandals.

We hate the sin and love the sinner. I have not seen much love today, mostly self-righteousness.

I wonder if Kieran Conroy, myself and a few others charitable souls, like Michael, are the only sinners in the world?

Yes, that the man was a bishop makes the matter of sin worse, but what of parents who sin against their own children with bad example, what of children who sin against parents by ignoring them, putting them "out of the way" in homes, what of abortion, and contraception-the last the most common sin among English Catholics?

I am convinced that when God lets a person "get caught", it is a sign that God has not given up on that person. How many priests have lost salvation through hidden sins?

This man may yet become a saint. Pray for him.

And, may I add a comment I put on another, famous blog today?

I think the laity forgets where priests and bishops come from-Catholic homes and Catholic schools. If there is a crisis among the clergy, we have only ourselves to blame. It is not the case that young men are completely set on the wrong track morally or theologically all of the sudden in seminary when they are in their twenties. By that time, they are formed.

No, parents form their children first. Then teachers, and only then, college or university teachers and peers. If the lay people want holy priests and holy bishops there are several things we can do.

1) Be holy ourselves.
2) Raise holy children
3) Avoid wishy-washy Catholic schools; home school
4) Make sure the children have strong Catholic friends-go to TLMs
5) Teach the faith at home
6) Encourage leadership skills, morality and counter-cultural values in our teens.
7) Fast and pray for our clergy, bishops, seminarians
8) Give to good seminaries
9) Fast and pray some more
10) Stop being judgmental. Luke 6:37 from the mouth of Christ Himself
“Judge not, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and you will not be condemned; forgive, and you will be forgiven;

It seems that some people on line and in the newspapers do not understand that we are not righteous in our own selves, but only because Christ has redeemed us by His Sacrifice on the Cross.

We do not save ourselves by good works, but by understanding that we are sinners, horrible sinners all, and in need of Christ's Mercy, as well as Justice. Good works follows repentance, purification, prayer.

All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory, as St. Paul states.

To want revenge, or to want to see a sinner suffer is evil. God takes care of justice and mercy. God passes out judgment.

While we live, none of us are assured of salvation. Any of us could fall and lose eternal life. I see too much anger and self-righteousness.

I suggest a day of prayer and fasting.

From 1 Corinthians 4 and 6

Servants of Christ

1 Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy. 3 But to me it is a very small thing that I may be examined by you, or by any human court; in fact, I do not even examine myself. 4 For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord. 5 Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men's hearts; and then each man's praise will come to him from God.
Paul's Life as Model for his Disciples

6 Now these things, brethren, I have figuratively applied to myself and Apollos for your sakes, so that in us you may learn not to exceed what is written, so that no one of you will become arrogant in behalf of one against the other. 7 For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it? 8 You are already filled, you have already become rich, you have become kings without us; and indeed, I wish that you had become kings so that we also might reign with you. 9 For, I think, God has exhibited us apostles last of all, as men condemned to death; because we have become a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.

10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are prudent in Christ; we are weak, but you are strong; you are distinguished, but we are without honor. 11 To this present hour we are both hungry and thirsty, and are poorly clothed, and are roughly treated, and are homeless; 12 and we toil, working with our own hands; when we are reviled, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure; 13 when we are slandered, we try to conciliate; we have become as the scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now. 14 I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children. 15 For if you were to have countless tutors in Christ, yet you would not have many fathers, for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. 16 Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me.

1 Does any one of you, when he has a case against his neighbor, dare to go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints? 2 Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is judged by you, are you not competent to constitute the smallest law courts? 3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more matters of this life? 4 So if you have law courts dealing with matters of this life, do you appoint them as judges who are of no account in the church? 5 I say this to your shame. Is it so, that there is not among you one wise man who will be able to decide between his brethren, 6 but brother goes to law with brother, and that before unbelievers?

7 Actually, then, it is already a defeat for you, that you have lawsuits with one another. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be defrauded? 8 On the contrary, you yourselves wrong and defraud. You do this even to your brethren.

9 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, 10 nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

From Romans 3

None Is Righteous

9 What then? Are we Jews any better off?[a] No, not at all; for I[b] have already charged that all men, both Jews and Greeks, are under the power of sin, 10 as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one;
11 no one understands, no one seeks for God.
12 All have turned aside, together they have gone wrong;
no one does good, not even one.”
13 “Their throat is an open grave,
they use their tongues to deceive.”
“The venom of asps is under their lips.”
14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.”
15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood,
16 in their paths are ruin and misery,
17 and the way of peace they do not know.”
18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.20 For no human being will be justified in his sight by works of the law, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Righteousness through Faith

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from law, although the law and the prophets bear witness to it, 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction; 23 since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 they are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as an expiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins; 26 it was to prove at the present time that he himself is righteous and that he justifies him who has faith in Jesus.

27 Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On the principle of works? No, but on the principle of faith.[c] 28 For we hold that a man is justified by faith apart from works of law. 29 Or is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles also? Yes, of Gentiles also, 30 since God is one; and he will justify the circumcised on the ground of their faith and the uncircumcised through their faith. 31 Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.

Romans 2:1-3

Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God?

Etheldredasplace

Sunday, 28 September 2014

One More "Kieran" Comment

Words of Wisdom from St. Paul

Righteousness through Faith

Please Join Me in Prayer

Prayers for Kieran Conry and The Diocese

News from Friday